Garment with improved fly opening and related system

ABSTRACT

An undergarment is configured to be wearable by a wearer and includes a waist portion positionable around a portion of the torso of the wearer. The undergarment also includes a front panel extending from the waist portion. The front panel defines a pouch portion positionable so as to extend outwardly and upwardly from an area between the legs of the wearer. The front panel further has an opening defining spaced apart lateral ends and an apex vertically disposed above the lateral ends. A flap extends from the pouch portion and defines first and second lateral edges extending away from the lateral ends of the opening to a free end of the flap. The flap is releasably attachable with a portion of the front panel adjacent the opening so as to be selectively moveable between a closed position and an open position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Underwear has been provided in a number of different styles and configurations. Such styles and configurations are often designed or developed for optimal comfort or performance depending on varying wearer preferences and varying activities. Underwear of different types has been offered in many colors, fabrics, and of styles that provide varying level of coverage. The overall design of the different types of men's underwear, however, often follows a general layout or template within the particular configuration (e.g. briefs, boxers, boxer briefs, etc., with subtle variations in fit and styling. In particular, the fly most often included in men's underwear is usually of a particular type depending on the style of underwear. For example, boxer short style underwear often simply has a vertical fly formed by slightly overlapping portions of fabric that may or may not be enclosed by a button. In other examples both briefs and boxer briefs often provide a fly that is diagonally positioned to one side of the garment (or horizontally positioned in some cases) and is formed by a significant fabric overlap.

Often such configurations result in a fly is merely decorative and sometimes even detrimental to the product and its use. For example, some flies do not properly close and can result in exposure or escape of portions of the male body therefrom. In some instances the extra fabric from the fly may add unneeded bulkiness to the garment as well. Manny current fly configurations are so inconvenient that many people simply refuse to use it altogether, instead simply pulling down their underwear to urinate.

Most current fly configurations require opening an access point, followed by manual removal of the penis and manual reinsertion back into the undergarment. This requires contact that can be unsanitary and uncomfortable, especially in public bathrooms, as the wearer may come into contact with residual bodily fluids. Additionally, many people with disabilities have difficulty fully removing their clothing, thus making convenient accessibility of utmost importance to those who may be required to assist them. Further, in instances of athletic wear and athletic underwear in particular, people often sacrifice comfort for protection, requiring stiff and uncomfortable garments that require much time and effort to remove. Accordingly an undergarment is needed that can offer support within the undergarment, particularly in the case of men's undergarments, while being worn, and further providing a comfort and a convenient point of access therethrough.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to an undergarment having a functional collapsible drawbridge-like fly that can provide convenient, easier urination as well as coverage and comfort, without unintended exposure during regular wear. The undergarment can also provide a unique aesthetic to the front portion thereof. The fly configuration described herein can be included in all types of undergarments. A method of opening and closing the fly, discussed herein, allows for convenient use of the undergarment (including opening and closing of the fly), while maintaining the placement of all contents in the undergarment during wear, and further without requiring touching of parts of the body during urination. The undergarment described herein facilitates such a method, while providing improved comfort through minimal excess bulk, and breathability through air vents therein. The fly of the garment is also associated with a pouch that can be configured in a hammock-like shape that, when opened, provides support to offer easy, comfortable access through the fly. The hammock can also be made of different materials (including hard materials such as plastic or the like, or more compliant materials such as layers of foam), which can provide protection and support in athletic and activewear garments.

An undergarment according to an aspect of the disclosure is configured to be wearable by a wearer and includes a waist portion positionable around a portion of the torso of the wearer. The undergarment also includes a front panel extending from the waist portion. The front panel defines a pouch portion positionable so as to extend outwardly and upwardly from an area between the legs of the wearer. The front panel further has an opening defining spaced apart lateral ends and an apex vertically disposed above the lateral ends. A flap extends from the pouch portion and defines first and second lateral edges extending away from the lateral ends of the opening to a free end of the flap. The flap is releasably attachable with a portion of the front panel adjacent the opening so as to be selectively moveable between a closed position, such that the flap extends over the opening, and an open position, such that the flap is withdrawn from the opening.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to an undergarment configured to be wearable by a wearer. The undergarment and includes a waist portion positionable around a portion of the torso of the wearer. The waist portion defines a notch along a centrally disposed portion of an upper edge thereof. The undergarment can further include the above-described front panel, including the opening and flap described with respect thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of an undergarment according to an aspect of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the undergarment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the undergarment of FIG. 1 in an open configuration.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the undergarment in the open configuration of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of another undergarment according to a further aspect of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of an outer garment adapted to be used in a system with the undergarment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of the outer garment of FIG. 6 in an open configuration and showing portions of an undergarment similar to that of FIG. 1 there through.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional detail views of the outer garment and undergarment of FIG. 7 in respective closed and open configurations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning to the drawing figures, wherein similar reference numbers are used in connection with similar features, FIG. 1 shows an undergarment 10 in the form of a pair of men's underwear. The particular example of undergarment 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a pair of boxer-briefs, which are configured to be worn at or below the waist of a wearer with front and back panels thereof extending downward from the garment's waistband respectively over the anterior and posterior of the wearer and to extend between the wearer's legs where the front and back panels are attached together (or continuously extend together in a unitary structure). The boxer-briefs shown are also configured with leg portions that extend outwardly and downwardly around respective legs of the wearer. Such an undergarment can be configured to provide a close or snug fit for the wearer and can be sized or selected based on the individual wearer's personal fit preferences (such as a relatively tighter or relatively looser fit). Generally, such undergarments are configured to provide concealment and comfortable enclosure of the area which they cover and to provide a degree of support for the male-specific body parts. Although illustrated in the context of boxer-briefs, certain features of undergarment 10 can be implemented in other forms of undergarments such as briefs, or boxer shorts, as discussed further below.

Returning to the undergarment 10 shown in FIG. 1, as discussed above, undergarment 10 includes a waist opening 18 configured to fit around the lower portion of the wearer's torso, such as around the waist or around an area below the waist. The waist opening 18 can be encircled by a waistband that can be an additional piece of material that is attached to undergarment 10 or can be material unitary with the adjacent portions of undergarment 10 such that waistband is defined by stitching and/or folding imparted on the material. Waistband 50 can be of or can include an elastic material to provide a retention force around the wearer's waist to keep undergarment 10 from sagging out of its desired position. In one example, waistband 50 can be of a cotton or cotton-spandex material with an elastic backing sewn thereto. In a further example, waistband 50 can be of a cotton or cotton-spandex material that is wrapped around or otherwise fully encloses an elastic band. Such a configuration can provide for increased comfort against the wearer's skin compared to direct contact with the elastic.

A front panel 22 extends downwardly from waistband 50. Front panel 22 is configured to cover and to provide support for a male wearer's body parts. Accordingly, front panel can be shaped to form a pouch or other appropriately-configured area to enclose the body parts within an area of the undergarment 10. A rear panel 22 can extend downwardly from waistband 50 opposite front panel 22 and can be configured extend over and cover at least portions of the wearer's buttocks. The front panel 22 and rear panel 20 can extend toward the area between the wearer's legs and can be attached together within such an area. In some examples, a seam can connect the front panel 22 with the rear panel 20. Such a seam can be positioned directly between the wearer's legs or to the front or back of such an area. In another example, the front panel 22 and rear panel 20 can be particular areas or a unitary piece of fabric or material that includes both the front panel 22 and the rear panel 20 and is connected with waistband 50 on both opposing sides.

Leg portions 12 and 14 are attached with front panel 22 and rear panel 20 on respective, opposite lateral sides of undergarment 20. Each of the legs 12,14 includes a leg opening defined around an edge of the lower portions of the respective legs 12,14. The legs 12,14 are generally of the same overall length, which itself can vary among examples of undergarment 10, of which some examples can have relatively short legs 12,14 (one or two inches along the inseam thereof, for example), while other examples can have relatively longer legs (4 to five or more inches, for example). Different examples of undergarment 10 having different lengths for legs 12,14 can be provided so as to be selected based on user preference. Leg portions 12,14 can be attached with front panel 22 and rear panel 20, along with waistband 50 in some examples, by corresponding seams or the like. The particular location of such seams can vary depending on the style or desired fit of the undergarment 10, and the locations thereof shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are merely examples. In a variation, leg portions 12,14 can be of the same piece of material as one or more of front panel 22 and rear panel 20.

Undergarment 10 includes a fly 24 that is configured to provide improved overall comfort for undergarment 10 and improved access and communication between the interior and exterior thereof. In particular, fly 24 can include a flap 34 that is configured to span at least a portion of the width of front panel 22, over which it is attached on opposing sides 36,38 thereof. Flap 34 extends upwardly from the attached sides to an apex 32 vertically disposed from the attached portions of sides 36,38. As such, flap 34 has a portion thereof that is not permanently attached with the remaining portions of front panel 22 and extends over a portion of the width and height thereof.

Flap 34 is sized and positioned to cover and close an opening 26 that is also within front panel 22. As shown in FIG. 3, opening 26 extends both laterally and vertically within a portion of front panel 22 that is smaller than flap 34 such that a portion of flap 34 overlaps with the areas of front panel 22 surrounding opening 26. Such an overlap allows flap 34 to fully enclose opening 26 such that the portions of the wearer's body uncovered by opening 26 can be concealed beneath flap 34.

In addition, flap 34, can be a part of or otherwise extend continuously from the pouch area 46. As discussed above, the pouch area 46 can be defined within an outwardly and/or downwardly extending area in front panel 22 that can be configured to provide additional room for the male body parts, while providing a desired degree of support therefore so as to be contained within a specific area. As such, pouch area 46 and any portions of flap 34 that extend therefrom can be generally hammock-shaped. That is, the portions to the center and, in some examples, the lower-center of the front panel 22 can billow outward and/or downward of the portions thereof toward the outer portions of the front panel 22 (e.g. toward the leg portions 12,14) as in the shape of a hammock. The flap 34 can extend from pouch area 46 in a manner that continues to define the hammock-shape such that the lower center portions and relatively higher or more inward side portions come together in the area of apex 32, again in the manner of a hammock.

In such a construction, front panel 22 can include a number of different sections of fabric or the like sewn together in the configuration described above. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, flap 34 and pouch 46 include one or more (e.g. two, as shown) pieces of material that are configured to give such features the hammock shape as just described. Similarly, one or more pieces of material (e.g. one, as shown) can make up the remaining portions of front panel 22 and can have a cutout in the desired shape of opening 26 therein. As shown, the portions of front panel 22 flanking the opening 26 can be included on such a piece of material or sub-assembly thereof. In such a manner, portions of the sides 28 and 30 of flap 34 can be attached to the upper portion of front panel 22 outside of opening 26 by corresponding seams 29 and 30 that can be configured to allow flap 34, as it extends into pouch 46, to maintain the desired hammock shape, while configuring the free portions of flap 34 in an appropriate size and positioning to cover opening 26, as discussed above.

The free portion of flap 34 can be made releasably-attachable with an adjacent portion of front panel 22. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a button 42 can be affixed to front panel 22 adjacent opening 26 in a position to align with the flap 34 in the area of the apex 32 thereof. Flap 34 can include a corresponding button hole 44 so that flap 34 can be maintained in a closed position by assembling button 42 with button hole 44. Similarly, flap 34 can be released and allowed to open by removing button 42 from button hole 44. Other structures can be used to facilitate such attachment, such as Velcro, zippers, snaps, or the like. Such an attachment not only helps to maintain flap 34 closed but can provide support for the pouch area 46 by the hammock-like configuration of pouch 46 and flap 34, as described above.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the release of flap 34 from the above-describe attachment structure can allow flap 34 to fall or otherwise be moved away from its position over opening 26. As particularly shown in FIG. 4, flap 34 can open by moving in an anterior direction away from opening 26 and away from button 42. Because of such detachment from button 42 and the movement of flap 34 away from opening 26, not only is the anatomy of the wearer within opening 26 made accessible, but the pouch 46 can be somewhat loosened, further facilitating access through opening 26, while maintaining the contents of the pouch 46 in a generally central position (due to the lower center thereof achieved by the hammock configuration).

The configuration of opening 26 and flap 34, discussed herein can be adapted to be included in a pair of boxer shorts, for example. Boxer shorts are typically loose-fitting undergarments that can have otherwise similar waist, front, back, and leg sections as boxer-briefs. Accordingly, the fly typically found on most types of boxer shorts can be replaced with an opening and flap combination, as shown in FIG. 1, for example. Still further, an undergarment similar to undergarment 10 can be provided without legs 12 and 14 in the form of a brief style undergarment. The configurations of both boxer-briefs and briefs can be adapted to function as protective athletic garments by providing pockets within the pouch and flap to retain either a hard plastic cup or specially adapted foam inserts therein.

Accordingly, undergarment 10 can provide a larger opening 26 for communication between the inside and outside thereof. This can be particularly useful during urination, for example, wherein a male will often leave his undergarments 10 in place, while reaching through the fly of his pants and underwear to access necessary body part(s) therefor. Often, this must be done while holding open a typical fly (which may open in a sideways manner or can additionally or alternatively require holding open of overlapping, fixed flaps), often with one hand, while “aiming” with the other hand. Undergarment 10, however, can make urination easier by providing an opening 26 that remains at least partially open by itself (i.e. by gravity causing flap 42 to fall open when unbuttoned), eliminating the need for the fly 24 to be held open. Further, the direction of opening (i.e. vertical) means that, should the user wish to hold the fly 24 open, it can be done with the same hand that is used for aiming. Even further, the flap 42 can itself be extended outwardly of the fly of the wearer's pants such that the user does not have to actually contact the penis to aim during urination, which can improve the sanitary aspects of using the bathroom, for example. Similarly, the size of opening 24 and the direction of the opening action means that at least some users can remove body parts from the undergarment 10 by simply pulling downward on flap 42 to expand the size of opening 26 such that the penis is freed from behind pouch 46 so as to move outwardly from opening 26, without having to be grasped by the wearer. Such an arrangement can also make urination easier for those who require assistance in doing so (e.g. the fully or partially disabled), by making access to the body parts within undergarment 10 easer for those assisting them.

Even with the improvements in the structure of the fly 24 described herein, some may still prefer to urinate by moving the waistband 50 downward and removing the body part over the top of the undergarment 50. To facilitate such action, undergarment 10, and other examples of undergarment with or without similar structures of fly 24, can include a notch 52 formed in waistband 50. A waistband with a straight upper edge can make such action difficult by requiring movement of waistband 50 over a great distance. Such a waistband can also present difficulty in aiming and can disrupt the flow during urination. Notch 52 can provide a place for body parts to rest during over the top urination and can reduce the distance of movement for waistband 50 to achieve such a position, which can help the user aim and can be less disruptive to flow. The notch can, for example, have a depth of about 50% of the overall height of the waistband 50. In an example, waistband can be about 1.25″ high, and notch 52 can have a depth of about 0.75″. Further, notch 52 can have a width about equal to the height of waistband 50 (e.g. 1.25″ in the example given). Other configurations are possible and can be made to provide adequate strength of waistband 50, overall, and to allow for the shape and structure of notch 52 to be maintained during wearing of undergarment 10 (or another undergarment including a similar notch 52).

A variation of the undergarment described above is shown in FIG. 5. Such an undergarment 110 includes a pair of inserts 154 (of which only one is shown in FIG. 5, the other being similar in structure and positioned opposite opening 126 from the insert 154 shown) attached between portions of flap 134 and the underlying areas of the upper portion of front panel 122 (e.g. in the location of seams 29 and 31 in undergarment 10). Such inserts 154, 156 can be made of elastic or another resiliently-stretchable material so that they add as little bulk as possible when fly 124 is closed, while facilitating even farther opening of flap 134 compared to flap 34, discussed above. Inserts 154, 156 can be positioned to add material to enclose flap 134 along portions of the sides 136, 138 thereof so as to limit exposure or escape of the contents of undergarment 110, while providing the aforementioned additional opening 126 size.

As shown in FIGS. 6-8, an outer garment 60 can be configured to take particular advantage of the ease of access provided by the above-described structure of fly 24 (and/or fly 124, as shown in FIG. 5). In particular, outer garment 60 can be configured with a fly 64 that opens in a manner similar to that of undergarment 10. As such, a flap 68 can extend between attached lateral sides, as well as vertically along a detached portion thereof. Flap 68 can align with an opening 66 positioned in garment 60 to align with the opening 26 of undergarment 10. As shown in FIG. 6, flap 68 does not necessarily have to be the same shape as the flap 34 of undergarment 10 and can, for example, be in a more rounded configuration (similar to an upside-down “U” or a rotated “D”). Further opening 66 can be sized to be larger than flap 24 so that flap 34 can easily pass therethrough.

The closure mechanism 70 incorporated into fly 64 can also vary from that included in fly 24. In particular, fly 64, which can be intended to be external to any clothing, can include a closure 70 that extends along the entire free portion of flap 68. In the example shown, a zipper is used for closure 70, and extends around the mating peripheries of flap 68 and opening 66. In another example, flap 68 can be triangular and can have two zippers on either side thereof that meet at an apex of flap 68 when closed. In yet another example, flap 68 can be rectangular in shape and can include zippers on opposite sides thereof. The upper edge of such a rectangular flap can close, for example, using a hook-and-eye closure. In such examples, a flexible piece of material (such as webbing, a cord or the like) can connect between zippers to provide easy simultaneous opening and closing thereof.

When opened, as shown in FIG. 7, fly 64 can uncover opening 66 such that fly 24 of undergarment 10 can be opened by the wearer, as described above. Such a fly 64, in combination with undergarment 10 can provide increased ease of access to the interior of the undergarment 10 and the contents thereof. In an additional example, as shown in FIGS. 8A, the interior of flap 68 can include a second attachment feature 72 that can connect with the flap 34 of undergarment 10 such that flap 34 can be connected with flap 68 instead of with the area adjacent opening 26 such that flap 34 can be opened simultaneously in a single action with flap 68, as shown in FIG. 8B. In the example shown, the attachment feature 72 is in the form of another button that can pass through the button hole 44 in flap 34 for connection therewith, leaving button 42 (not shown in FIGS. 8A or 8B) unconnected with flap 34. The outer garment 60 in such a system can be any type of lower outer garment, but may be additionally useful in sportswear, such as in ski pants or the like. Additionally, the outer garment 60 can be configured as a pair of pants typically associated with an emergency-response uniform, such as a fireman's suit or the like, which are often bulky, and are worn in situations where ease and speed of using the bathroom, for example can be critical. Other configurations for outer garment 60 are possible, including configurations as jeans, trousers, or the like. As further shown in FIG. 7, an outer garment (which may or may not include the fly structure 64 discussed above) can include a notch that can be similar to notch 52 described above with respect to undergarment 10. In the example of an outer garment 60 with a fly 64 adapted to attach with a fly 24 of an undergarment 10 that also includes a notch 52, notch 80 can be configured to align with notch 52.

Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. An undergarment, comprising: a waist portion positionable around a portion of the torso of a wearer; and a front panel extending from the waist portion, the front panel defining a pouch portion positionable so as to extend outwardly and upwardly from an area between the legs of the wearer, the front panel further including an opening defining an edge with spaced apart lateral ends and an apex vertically disposed above the lateral ends and a flap extending from the pouch portion and defining first and second lateral edges detached from the edges of the opening and extending away from the lateral ends of the opening to a free end of the flap; wherein the flap is releasably attachable with a portion of the front panel adjacent the opening so as to be selectively moveable between a closed position, such that the flap extends over the opening, and an open position, such that the flap is withdrawn from the opening.
 2. The undergarment of claim 1, further including a back panel extending from the flap at the portion thereof positionable between the legs of the wearer and connecting with the waist portion opposite the front panel.
 3. The undergarment of claim 1, further including first and second leg portions partially extending from opposing sides of the front panel and positionable around portions of respective legs of the wearer.
 4. The undergarment of claim 1, the first and second lateral edges of the flap are substantially equal in respective lengths thereof.
 5. The undergarment of claim 4, wherein the lengths of the first and second lateral edges of the flap are at least 1.5″.
 6. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the front panel includes an upper portion and a lower portion that includes the pouch and the flap, the upper portion and the lower portion being of separate pieces of material that are sewn together along portions thereof.
 7. The undergarment of claim 6, wherein the lower portion is attached to the upper portion along an edge of the lower portion that extends from the lateral edges of the flap.
 8. The undergarment of claim 6, wherein the lower portion is attached to the upper portion along an edge of the upper portion that extends from the edge of the opening.
 9. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein first and second gores extend between portions of respective lateral edges of the flap and corresponding portions of the edge of the opening.
 10. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the undergarment is generally configured as a pair of boxer shorts.
 11. The undergarment of claim 1, wherein the undergarment is generally configured as one of a pair of briefs or boxer-briefs.
 12. A garment, comprising: a waist portion positionable around a portion of the torso of the wearer, the waist portion defining a notch disposed along a central portion of an upper edge thereof; and a front panel extending outwardly and upwardly from an area between the legs of the wearer to attach with the waist portion along an area including the central portion; wherein the notch extends inward relative to the waist portion in a direction away from the upper edge toward the front panel through at least 50% of a thickness of the waist portion.
 13. The garment of claim 12, wherein the waist portion is a waistband including an elastic member extending around a perimeter thereof, the notch being defined at least in the elastic member.
 14. The garment of claim 13, wherein the waistband includes a resiliently stretchable fabric sheath surrounding the elastic member, and wherein the notch is defined in portions of the elastic member and the fabric sheath.
 15. The garment of claim 12, wherein the notch extends along a width thereof in a direction parallel to the upper edge of the waist portion, the width being at least 1″.
 16. The garment of claim 12, wherein: the garment is an undergarment; the front panel defines a pouch portion including the portion of the front panel that extends outwardly and upwardly from an area between the legs of the wearer, the front panel further including an opening defining an edge with spaced apart lateral ends and an apex vertically disposed above the lateral ends and a flap extending from the pouch portion and defining first and second lateral edges detached from the edges of the edge of the opening and extending away from the lateral ends of the opening to a free end of the flap; and the flap is releasably attachable with a portion of the front panel adjacent the opening so as to be selectively moveable between a closed position, such that the flap extends over the opening, and an open position, such that the flap is withdrawn from the opening.
 17. A system, comprising: an inner garment, including: a waist portion positionable around a portion of the torso of a wearer; and a front panel extending from the waist portion, the front panel including an inner opening defining an edge with spaced apart lateral ends and an apex vertically disposed above the lateral ends and an inner flap defining first and second lateral edges detached from the edges of the inner opening and extending away from the lateral ends thereof to a free end of the inner flap; an outer garment, including an outer opening, the garment being positionable on a wearer over the inner garment with the outer opening aligned with the inner opening, the outer garment further including an outer flap with lateral edges extending to an apex, the lateral edges and apex being positionable adjacent the lateral edges of the inner flap, and the outer flap being configured to selectively open and close the outer opening; and a connector configured to releasably attach the flap of the inner garment with the flap of the outer garment such that the selective opening and closing of the outer opening by the outer flap also causes the inner flap to correspondingly open and close the inner opening.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the front panel of the inner garment defines a pouch portion positionable so as to extend outwardly and upwardly from an area between the legs of the wearer, the inner flap extending from the pouch portion.
 19. The system of claim 17, wherein the outer flap is configured to substantially close the outer opening by one of a hook and eye fastener or a zipper.
 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the inner flap includes a button hole that is selectively attachable with a button attached with the front portion of the inner garment adjacent the opening and a button attached on an inside of the outer flap. 